Recently, the China-Europe freight sector has been thrown into chaos due to a move by Poland. On September 12, Poland suddenly and unilaterally announced the closure of all border crossings with Belarus, including road and railway links. The implementation of the "no-passage" policy has severely impacted the China-Europe Railway Express, a vital logistics artery connecting Asia and Europe, directly disrupting the Polish section of the railway.
China-Europe Railway Express trains depart from China, usually passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus, and finally enter the European standard-gauge rail network via ports such as Malczyce, Poland. The Polish section is one of the main entry routes for the China-Europe Railway Express into Europe.
There are 7 routes of the China-Europe Railway Express, all passing through Russia, Belarus, and Poland. Among them, Poland serves as a crucial hub for the railway to enter Central and Western Europe, handling over 30% of the railway’s total capacity.
However, currently, trains at key nodes such as Poland’s Malczyce Station have been suspended, drivers and logistics personnel have stopped working, and a large number of trains and containers are stranded.
Triggering Incident
On September 10, Poland reported that "nearly 20 Russian drones invaded its airspace", and Russia and Belarus planned to hold a joint military exercise in the area adjacent to the Polish border on September 12. This led Poland to believe its national security was under direct threat. Despite the appeal by Geng Shuang, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on September 12 for all parties to exercise restraint regarding the "drone incident", Poland insisted on closing the border crossings in the name of safeguarding national security.
Impact of the Disruption
After the border closure, China-Europe road freight and railway express have been impacted to different degrees. China-Europe road freight, though affected, has room for adjustment. The Belarus-Poland route is not the only option—logistics providers have activated emergency plans: goods that have not been shipped can switch routes directly, while vehicles already on the road or stranded can detour to border crossings in Latvia and Lithuania.
However, the detour has caused severe congestion at alternative crossings. Data on September 15 showed that 120 trucks were queuing at Lithuania’s Grigorovshina crossing, and the number of queuing vehicles at two checkpoints in Latvia both exceeded 420. Traffic efficiency has dropped sharply, and delays are inevitable.
The impact on the China-Europe Railway Express is far more devastating. As a key logistics corridor connecting the Eurasian continent, it operated over 20,000 trains in 2024, carrying 1.57 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of goods, and is a core force maintaining the stability of China-Europe supply chains.
Poland occupies a "throat position" in the China-Europe Railway Express logistics network: nearly 90% of the trains need to transit through Poland, and Malczyce Station in Poland is Europe’s largest transshipment hub for the railway, undertaking over 90% of the trains’ transshipment and gauge conversion tasks.
The border closure has directly cut off this core corridor. Approximately 300 China-Europe Railway Express trains that have already departed are stranded at the Belarusian border, with their cargo—including electronic products, auto parts, and textile raw materials—stuck. This has heightened the risk of "inventory emergencies" for cross-border sellers, European importers, and retailers, and some enterprises are facing pressure from supply chain disruptions.
Currently, for trains already on the road, there is no feasible solution other than waiting for Poland to reopen the border crossings. For goods that have not yet been shipped, logistics providers advise shippers to consider switching transportation methods, such as sea freight, air freight, or road freight via other routes—but this requires bearing additional pressure from increased transportation costs and adjusted timelines.
Duration of Disruption
Poland’s Warsaw authorities have clearly stated that the border crossings will only reopen on the premise of "100% confirmation that there is no security threat". The specific resumption time will be determined solely by Poland based on security assessments, leading to great uncertainty. The European Chamber of Commerce has warned that if the issue cannot be resolved in a short time, supply chain prices will rise. The closure is expected to have an impact until the end of September and may trigger a chain reaction in the supply chain.
Recently, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has actively intervened. Spokesperson Lin Jian urged Poland to take responsible measures to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the trains. Although some logistics providers have notified that the border closure is expected to last from September 12 to 16, the incident not only affects freight transportation but may also trigger a chain reaction in the supply chain—prices of natural gas and crude oil in Europe have already begun to fluctuate.
STU Supply Chain Europe Sea & Air Freight: Emergency Replacement to Stabilize Supply Chains
Facing the "logistics vacuum" caused by the railway disruption, STU Supply Chain, relying on its advantages in European routes, has launched a dual-scheme of "air freight for timeliness, sea freight for stable costs" to help enterprises quickly rebuild logistics corridors to Europe. Emergency channels have been opened to undertake order transfer needs:
1. Emergency Air Freight: 7-Day Direct Delivery to Solve Urgent Replenishment
To address the "timeliness anxiety" caused by stranded trains, STU Supply Chain has launched expedited air freight services to Europe:
Ultra-fast timeliness: Relying on in-depth cooperation with airlines such as British Airways, door-to-door delivery from Guangzhou/Shenzhen to core airports like Frankfurt and London takes 5-7 days, which is at least 15 days faster than stranded trains—perfectly meeting FBA replenishment and urgent factory order needs.
Wide cargo adaptability: With dangerous goods operation qualification, it can handle sensitive cargo such as battery-equipped 3C products and precision components. Professional packaging is provided to reduce cargo damage rates.
Rapid space booking: Secures cargo space within 48 hours. A "priority warehousing" channel is specially opened for goods transferred from the railway to avoid delays during peak seasons.
2. Backup Sea Freight: Stable Space for Bulk Stocking
For cost-sensitive bulk goods, STU Supply Chain’s sea freight services to Europe offer cost-effective options:
Guaranteed space: As a core partner of shipping lines such as WAN HAI and MSC, it has direct pricing and stable sailing schedules. Direct delivery from Shenzhen/Shanghai Port to Rotterdam/Hamburg Port takes 25-35 days, with a space availability rate of 95%, completely solving the "no space for order transfer" problem.
End-to-end service: Covers the entire process of "domestic pickup - sea freight - customs clearance - delivery", supporting full container load (FCL), less than container load (LCL), and oversized cargo transportation (single pieces up to 8 tons). Refrigerated container services are also available for special cargo such as fresh produce and chemicals.
Compliance assurance: Familiar with EU IOSS tax declaration rules, shortening customs clearance time by 30% and avoiding port detention due to procedural issues.
3. Emergency Support: Rapid Response for Seamless Order Transfer
To simplify the order transfer process from the railway, STU Supply Chain provides "three-fast services": 1-hour solution proposal, 2-hour quotation, and 24-hour pickup arrangement. Dedicated consultants track cargo dynamics throughout the process and synchronize transportation nodes in real time.
Currently, there is still no clear timeline for the resumption of the railway. The earlier you switch routes, the sooner your supply chain stabilizes! Contact STU Supply Chain now to get your exclusive emergency logistics plan and quotation.
Promotional Rates
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LL7-EVER EXCEL 0779-187W, Yantian, 27th Sep CLS, ANTWERP/HAMBURG/ROTTERDAM: USD 1255/1630
LL7-EVER GENTLE 0780-026W, Yantian, 4th Oct CLS, ANTWERP/HAMBURG/ROTTERDAM: USD 1205/1530
